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Blue Syabu hits the streets

HIGH GRADE: Nordin displaying the new strain blue Syabu (left) compared with the white one

A NEW type of Syabu has emerged and is believed to have started hitting the local market since early this year.

The new Syabu which is blue in colour is said to be of higher grade and has a much stronger effect on its users compared will the more common white crystal Syabu.

Police revealed this following the seizure of blue Syabu from a double storey terrace house in Bandar Puteri, Puchong on Wednesday.

Selangor police narcotics chief ACP Nordin Kadir said this is the first time the police have seen this type of Syabu during their drug raids.

“When we talk about Syabu, the image that comes to mind are those which are white. This is the first time we have seized blue Syabu,” said Nordin.

He said although police are yet to ascertain the ingredients used to produce the blue Syabu, they believe that it has a much stronger effect on its users.

“We also believe that it is sold at a much higher price compared to the white crystal Syabu,” said Nordin.

He said police will be sending the synthetic drug seized to the Chemistry Department to determine its contents and the different colour.

“The syndicate could have added a new ingredient but we cannot say for sure until we do a proper test,” said Nordin.

He also expressed his concern about the effect the blue Syabu has on users.

“If the test proves that it does have a stronger effect, then it would be a major concern as we do not know how much has been distributed,” said Nordin.

He also said police would be investigating the origins of the drugs. The blue Syabu seized was packed into two packets valued at RM15,000.

Apart from the blue synthetic drug, police also seized three other types of drugs. The others were Ketamine, Eramine 5 and Ecstasy.

The drugs seized were said to be ready for distribution when police from the Selangor contingent raided the house at 1am after weeks of surveillance.

The drugs, meant for the Klang Valley, were worth about RM19,500. Police also arrested two locals aged 39 and 49 in the operation.

Checks on the suspects’ backgrounds showed both have previous criminal records. They were also high on drugs when police raided the house.

Initial police investigations revealed that the suspects were believed to be members of a local drug distribution syndicate and have been using the rented premise since the end of last year.

Police are investigating the case under Section 39A(2) Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for possession of drugs which carries a sentence of not more than five years in jail with whipping of not less than ten strokes.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated case on Tuesday, two foreigners were arrested after they were caught processing
drugs manually in a house at Taman Bukit Serdang in Seri Kembangan.

Police seized two packets of Syabu and nine Ecstasy pills along with some tools used by the couple in the
5.15 pm operation.

ACP Nordin Kadir said the couple who are Chinese nationals, have been operating for more than six months.

“Their modus operandi is simple — they use their rented house as their laboratory to process the drugs.

We believe the drugs are for the local market,”said Nordin. Meanwhile police confirmed that the couple has been living there since 2003.

Police investigation found that the male suspect was carrying an invalid passport and the amount of seized items were worth RM71,000.

The case is being investigated under section 39B Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for drug trafficking which carries a death penalty if proven guilty.
What is Syabu?

Syabu or its scientific name Amphetamine is a psychostimulant drug that is known to produce increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.

Amphetamine is related to drugs such as methamphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which is a group of potent drugs that act by increasing levels of norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine in the brain, inducing euphoria. The drug is also used illegally as a recreational drug and as a performance enhancer.

The name amphetamine is derived from its chemical name: alpha-methylphenethylamine. It is also used to treat symptoms of traumatic brain injury and the daytime drowsiness symptoms of narcolepsy, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Initially, amphetamine was more popularly used to diminish appetite and to control weight.